Versus TV trailer

Versus Television ran this nice trailer during the 2010 Tour de France, highlighting the power of sports and competition as a vital element of human life. It makes its point well.

You can see a full length (2:16) version here

Nike World Cup

In a similar vein, Nike ran this outstanding ad just ahead of the 2010 World Cup. The storytelling is superb, and I can only imagine what kind of a budget was behind this effort:

Apple Facetime

Apple created this powerful ad to highlight the new Facetime feature in the iPhone 4. I really like how it feels. It makes me want to use the feature, which is the mark of a great commercial.

Livestrong/Nike “Engine”

Lance Armstrong’s new ad for Livestrong Foundation and Nike does an excellent job of creating emotion with what would normally be just a jumble of background noise. Works beautifully in this context.

Apple Think Different ad

When Steve Jobs regained the helm of Apple, he introduced this new message to remind people of what Apple represented. Great way to apply the emotion of a brand. Not everyone “gets” this message, and that’s the way it should be. Only those who get it will connect with the brand, and they will be loyal.

McDonald’s Larry Bird vs. Michael Jordan

Okay, it doesn’t have quite the same emotional power, and falls short of some of the great McDonald’s commercials from the 80′s, but not a bad effort to help the brand ward off its negative perception as a junk food provider and attempt to relate to the world of athletics.

Life moves. From the moment our eyes behold their first blurry view of the world around us until they close for the last time, life is a blur of activity, colour, sound. Is it any wonder we’re fascinated by video? Movies, and then television changed our world. After more than 100 years, motion pictures still capture our imagination, holding us in their enthralling grip for hours at a time. On a recent flight, I was amazed by the number of people watching DVDs on their personal computers. We love moving pictures! No wonder advertising people feel that being part of an industry churning out creative 30-second mini movies is one of the best jobs in the world.

CROSS DISSOLVE. NIGHT.

My family reviews some footage I recorded when my kids were little, edited to music and burned to DVD for the grandparents. We laugh. But emotions soar, roused through a simple combination of moving images and music. So, with our universal fascination for moving pictures, why don’t more companies use video for marketing?

CROSS DISSOLVE. OLD MOVIE FOOTAGE.

It used to be a big deal to use video in a corporate setting. Few people knew how to use these high-tech tools. Equipment was bulky and expensive. Editing suites were big rooms with lots of buttons and dials that only experts understood. You had to find a specialist just to script the thing, never mind finding someone with an eye for motion graphics to produce it. And getting decent production values required a financial commitment beyond all but the biggest firms.

HIGH ENERGY FAST CUTS WITH MUSIC.

No longer. Today, high school students armed with mini camcorders and free software like Apple’s iMovie are turning out products that are staggering in both creativity and quality. The tools for video are getting better, faster, cheaper. Eventually even e-mail will be video-based (I’ll bet everyone who has trouble typing can’t wait for that day). Have you seen what today’s young visionaries are doing with video? While helping judge the Alberta New Media awards, I was amazed at the high production value of student submissions. They not only had the tools, they showed vision and a creative understanding of how to edit footage to communicate effectively. Young people in summer camps and churches are doing more and cooler stuff with video than are most corporations.

Here’s an idea. Put them to work on marketing projects and watch how it infuses your brand with power and energy. Equip enthusiastic employees with a low-cost video suite. Invite them to use these powerful tools to create motion-based brand messaging. Training videos. Corporate newsletters with on-scene footage of the manufacturing process, new products, or interviews with new staff. In our agency, we use video as a way of enhancing new business presentations.

Don’t worry so much about the quality. Modern equipment is good. Just get started. Find people in your organization with vision and enthusiasm. Empower them. A new Macintosh computer and a $1,500 digital camcorder is all they need to turn out above-average productions. They’ll even be able to burn those videos to DVD for easy distribution. Double that investment and the quality will come close to that of professional-grade tools.

Is it really that easy? Yes and no. You do have to provide leadership, management and accountability. You need to get signed releases from staff appearing in your productions to ensure that you can continue to use the material after people move on. But those are minor issues in terms of the big picture. Sales. Not to mention the future of your brand.

The point is that there are virtually no barriers left to using video to enhance your brand messaging. Corporate video is now affordable. It’s accessible. It can be reformatted for other media such as Web delivery. It’s dynamic, vivid, fresh. Getting started now will breathe new life into your brand.

SUPER: “Life moves.”

Technology isn’t going to stand around waiting. Imagine how your company’s digital streaming video annual report 20 years from now might show some of the archival footage from the past. Sure, people might laugh. But emotions will soar, grateful you showed the way.

Rip. Giggle. More ripping. Squeals of delight. Perhaps our society’s fondness for consumer goods has its roots in the opening of gifts and packages, an activity we’ve all enjoyed since childhood. An aspect of marketing too often ignored, product packaging is about to see revolutionary change.

Packaging has become smarter, slicker, more colorful. It is more responsible, with less wasted paper. Smart marketers have recognized its contribution to the total brand personality. Yet one component of the box has not progressed for a hundred years.

I’m referring to the user manual.

A couple of years ago I bought a new camcorder. The box was gorgeous, transmitting the experience it stood for. Parts were individually wrapped in protective plastic bags. Cords were neatly folded and tied. Inside, the lens even came in its own glossy full color box as elegant as the main package. The entire experience was delightful, a fitting resolution to the angst involved in the decision to buy this particular make and model. Then I saw the user manual. It was nice enough as manuals go. But it just felt wrong. Low tech. Bulky. Wasted paper. For all the sophistication we’ve reached in packaging, today’s user manuals are fundamentally the same as those that shipped three decades ago.

A new technology is emerging which, I believe, will convert the lowly user manual into the pinnacle of the product packaging experience. It’s called DVD. Ultimately it will find a meaningful place in the presale brand identity mix, but the adaptation of DVD as a marketing tool will very likely begin with packaging. Picture your next camcorder box. Unlike previous purchases, this contains something extra — a shiny silver disc. You anticipate something special, and the disc delivers. Not only are there video segments on how to use your camera, but video articles helping you make better movies. A CBC Newsworld camera operator hosts a session on how to shoot great documentaries. Steve Martin hosts a funny piece on how to create a wedding video. And the product manager looks you in the eye and tells you that she really does care about your satisfaction and if you have any feedback, here is her direct e-mail address. Played on a computer, you could even click the link and send an immediate e-mail message.

The scenario works for most consumer goods. A new espresso machine can have videos on making the perfect latte. A watch can include a limited-edition, for-owners-only documentary on how this brand has been featured in action movies and traveled to the top of Mt. Everest. Such new product DVDs can include web links to discussion forums and membership areas limited exclusively to owners of the product. It works for travel, too. Imagine getting a detailed video preparing you for that cruise you just booked. Even B2B can benefit, where the DVD manual is used to orient and train people in safe equipment usage and techniques. Brands become more meaningful through digital user manuals.

A number of consumer realities point to a rosy future for DVD in marketing. There’s the simple fact that it is a standard. There are no concerns about whether or not you’ve got the right system to run it, as there were with CD-ROMs. Players are now priced below $100, making them affordable enough for any home or office. Its acceptance has grown exponentially — DVD households have doubled each year since 1998 and should reach more than 70 million worldwide by next year. The format has enough tenure in the entertainment industry to build consumer confidence. People are comfortable watching DVD videos both individually at their computers and in social settings.

Significantly, the format fits with a new consumer emphasis on being real. According to Yankelovich Research, the tragic events of September 11 accelerated an attitude that consumers have already felt for some time, but that marketers have been slow to understand. People want to stop being “sold” things and want to connect. With family. With friends. And with brands. They want marketers to be honest, to get real. Is it any wonder that reality television shows and “live camera” visual styling have been all the rage? Video makes sense in this marketing environment.

Some companies, like Britannica and Apple, are leading the way with DVD. What about you? Is your company ready for a revolution? Maybe it’s time to rethink how your packaging might contribute to your overall brand identity.